Integrated circuits are ubiquitous in modern electronic devices and systems. Modern, highly complex systems and devices are typically manufactured through an elaborate, multi-step process including both photolithographic and chemical processing. The processing is performed on a semiconductor substrate typically made of silicon, although other materials, including compound semiconductors formed from materials such as gallium arsenide, are also used. Modern fabrication processes may consist of hundreds or thousands of manufacturing and handling steps. In order for a given electronic device or system to function properly, every step in the fabrication process must be completed successfully. Each fabrication step has a unique purpose; for example, the photolithographic steps are used to print or expose desired features and patterns onto a semiconductor substrate. The printing process is reminiscent of old photographic processes involving shining light through a negative to expose light sensitive paper; extremely fine structures are printed onto a substrate using a mask and specific wavelengths of light. Following a printing step, the physical structures are realized when chemical processing is applied to the substrates. Returning to the photography analogy, the chemical processing “develops” the fine structures and patterns on the substrates much as certain chemicals develop images on photographic paper during traditional photographic processing. The chemical processing removes unwanted material at a particular level on the substrates while leaving the desired structures and patterns printed during the lithographic step intact. The photolithographic and chemical processing steps are repeated numerous times to produce the desired electronic devices and systems.
Many electronic devices and systems include some type of a display device. Many types of display devices exist, including plasma, light emitting diode (LED), liquid crystal (LCD), organic light emitting diode (OLED), organic liquid crystal (OLCD), and so on. The type of display that is chosen depends on the application. For example, depending on both the size of a display and a specific user's needs, the display may present information such as athletic events, movies, music play lists, photographs, phone numbers, stock quotes, games, news, and many other types of information. Display designers routinely must make tradeoffs during the design process in an effort to balance such factors as display clarity, brightness, physical size, complexity, power consumption, heat dissipation, fabrication complexity, cost, and myriad others. Each design decision may have a profound impact on the resulting display.